Particle.news
Download on the App Store
11 ARTICLES
·
59m ago

RNC Unanimously Elects Trump Ally Joe Gruters as Chair in Atlanta

He inherits a sizable war chest to steer the party into the 2026 midterms.

Florida Sen. Joe Gruters watches during a legislative session April 30, 2021, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
Image
Michael Whatley, former chair of Republican National Committee, speaks at the 2024 Republican National Convention hosted at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16, 2024.
Joe Gruters gives a victory speech after winning his first full term in Florida Senate District 23 in Sarasota, Fla., on Nov. 3, 2020.

Overview

  • Gruters, a Florida state senator and former state GOP chair credited with major voter-registration gains, ran unopposed after receiving President Donald Trump’s "complete and total" endorsement.
  • He succeeds Michael Whatley, who resigned this month to run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina.
  • As chairman, he becomes a key fundraising partner with the White House and will oversee election operations, legal teams, and the 2028 primary calendar and debate rules.
  • The RNC reports more than $80 million cash on hand, far outpacing the DNC’s roughly $14 million entering the cycle.
  • His elevation consolidates Trump’s control over party machinery and spotlights intra-party tensions, including a public rift with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.